Veterinary



(No Model.)

M. MONALLEY. VETERINARY SPEGULUM.

No, 555,590. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

INVENTOR BY Jam,

g 2 ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHEAL MCNALLEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VETERINARY SPECULUM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 555,390, dated February25, 1896.

Application filed May 9, l895. Serial No. 548,721. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIcnEAL McNALLEv, of St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a new and Improved Mouth-Speculum for Veterinary Use, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of devices known commonly asmouth-speculums, which are employed by veterinary surgeons for openingand holding open the jaws of horses, 850., when it is desired to examineor operate on any portion of the throat or mouth, or administer medicineto the animal; and the object of the invention is to provide a device ofthis character of a simple and inexpensive construction.

The invention comprises aframe composed of two pivoted sections providedwith bits adapted to enter the animals mouth and bear on the jaws, saidframe being provided with a convenient locking device for holding itssections rigidly in position after they have been adjusted.

The invention also contemplates certain novel features of constructionand combination of parts whereby certain important advantages areattained, and the frame of the speculum is made to fold and is otherwisebetter adapted for use than other similar devices heretofore employed,all as will be hereinafter fullyset forth. The novel features of theinvention will be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indi catecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the construction of themouth-speculum. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, drawn to an enlargedscale, showing the adjustable connection of the bit with the frame ofthe device; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view, also drawn to anenlarged scale, showing the means for connecting the upper and lowerframes adjustably together, the lower part of said figure being shown insection to illustrate the 0011- struction of the latch device forconnecting the tie-bar to the frame.

The frame of the device is constructed of upper and lower side bars, 1and 2, said bars being pivoted together in pairs, as indicated at 3, attheir inner ends, one pair of said bars being arranged at each side ofthe frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and at their upper ends therespective upper and lower side bars are connected together by tie-bars4 and 5, which extend between the opposite sides of the frame and arecurved and adapted to bear at the upper and lower portions of the headof the animal when the device is in use. The side bars 1 and 2 are eachprovided with arms 6 and 7, respectively, projecting forwardly fromtheir extremities, and said arms are of equal length and are provided attheir front ends with bent portions 8 and 9 directed 'toward each other,and provided at their extremities with bifurcations 10 to receiveflattened bolts 11, perforated at their upper ends to receive screws 12extending between the forks of the bifurcated ends of said bent portions8 and 9, as clearly seen in the sectional view, Fig. 2. The flattenedbolts 11 are adapted to pass through slots 13 formed longitudinally atopposite ends of the bit-bars 14, which extend transversely across theframe between the bent ends 8 and 9 of the arms 6 and 7 of the sidebars, and said bolts are headed at their lower ends and adapted wheninserted in the slots 13 in said bars 11 to be turned at right angles,so as to be locked against withdrawal therefrom.

The arms 6 and 7 are provided adjacent to their bent portions 8 and 9with integral loops 16, formed at their upper and lower edges,respectively, and aligned with one another, and said loops are adaptedto serve as means of attachment for the ends of straps 17 or equivalentdevices, adapted when the device is in place on a horses head to bestrapped down closely over the upper and lower portions of the same, soas to secure the device tightly in place, and the rear sides of therespective upper and lower side bars, 1 and 2, are similarly providedwith integral loops 18, adapted to receive straps 19, connected at theirrear ends with other straps 20, adapted to pass over the head of thehorse, whereby the device may be secured in place thereon.

At their upper and lower portions, adjacent to the points of attachmentof the tie-bars 4 and 5, the respective side bars of the device areprovided with eXteriorly-projecting flattened flanges 21, and the saidtie-bars at and 5 are similarly provided with flattened projections 22,secured to said flanges by means of screws 23, one screw being set ateach end of each tie-bar, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1, and in orderto facilitate the removal of the tie-bars 4 and 5 and their attachmentto the said bars I provide a latch device attached to each end of saidtie-bars, which latch device comprises a longitudinally-movable pin orbolt 25, arranged in a tubular casing 26, formed at the end of the sidebar, said bolt being provided with a projecting handle 28, extendingthrough a slot 29 formed in the side of said casing 26, and beingadapted to be normally pressed outward from the end of the side bar bymeans of a spring 27, arranged in said casing behind the bolt, and saidbolt 25 is adapted to engage a perforation 24, formed in the end of thetie-bar, as clearly seen in Fig. 3.

Ihe upper end of each of the lower side bars 2 is bifurcated, asindicated at 30 in the drawings, and the lower end, 31, of each of theside bars, 1, is reduced and inserted between the bifurcations 30 of thecorresponding lower side bar, 2, and the reduced lower end, 31, of theupper side bar, 1, is provided, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 3, withrackteeth 32 on its lower side, said rack-teeth being arranged insegmental form concentric with the pivot-pin 3, which binds the sidebars together, and being adapted to be engaged by a bolt 33, arranged toslide through a perforation formed in the lower side bar, 2, and beingprovided with a reduced spindle or shaft 34, which extends verticallydownward and is guided in a perforation formed in a flange or projection35 on the outer side of the side bar, 2, between which flange and thebolt 33 is arranged a spring 34 serving to hold the said bolt normallyin engagement with the teeth of the segment-rack 32 on the side bar, 1.The lower end of the shaft or spindle 34 is provided with an eye 36,adapted to be engaged by a hook 37, and the hooks 37 at opposite sidesof the device are connected with cords or similar devices 33, whichextend down and are connected to opposite ends of a handle 39, extendingacross the space between the side bars and adapted to be grasped by thehand of the operator when it is desired to move the upper and lowerframes toward or from one another.

In operation the device is secured on the head of a horse, the tie-barsat and 5 and straps 17 bearing at the upper and lower sides of the head,the'straps 20 being passed around the back of the head, and the bit-bars14, which will of course be provided with suitable shields of rubber orthe like, being passed between the jaws. The chin-strap 17 is nowgrasped by the operator and the lower frame is drawn downward, the teethof the segmentracks being adapted to slide over the bolts 33 when theframes are forced apart, and being engaged bysaid bolts in such a way asto lock the frames against moving toward one an other when released.

hen it is desired to release the frames so as to allow the animal toclose its mouth, the handle 39 is grasped and drawn downward, so as todisengage the bolt 33 from the segmentracks, whereupon the frames may beclosed together, moving freely on their pivots 3. In order to permit thedevice to be compactly folded up when not in use, I have pivoted orswiveled the tie-bars 4: and 5 on the screws .13, and have providedlatches for locking said tie-bars to the side bars of the upper andlower frames.

lVhen it is desired to fold the device, the latch-bolts 25 aredisengaged from the apertures 24. in the tie-bars 4 and 5, so as topermit the side bars to be swung toward one another, said bars beingalso pivoted or swiveled at their forward parts to the ends of thebit-bars. In this way the side bars at one side of the device may befolded compactly against those at the other side of the device, and whenunfolded the tie-bars may be securelylocked to the side bars by theengagement of the latch-bolt 25 with the aperture 24.

The construction of the device as above described is an exceedinglysimple, convenient and inexpensive construction, and permits of readyadjustment after the device has been placed in position on the head ofthe horse, it being only necessary to draw down on the handle 39 andsimultaneously force the upper and lower frames apart to the requireddistance. The arrangement of the latch-bolts 25 at opposite ends of thetie-bars 4 and 5 permits the same to be readily removed or applied,since it will be seen that the ends of the said tie-bars are guided totheir proper positions by said latch-bolts, and are secured in place bybut one screw at each end. The means employed for connecting thebit-bars 14: to the upper and lower frames is also of an improved andsimple construction, and permits said bit-bars to adjust themselvesantomatically to the teeth of the animal when the device is in place.Moreoveigthe arrange- .ment of this adjustable connection is such thatthe bit-bars 1% may be removed and replaced at will.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a veterinary mouth -specnlum, the combinationof upper and lower frames each formed of side bars pivotally connectedat their adjacent ends, said side bars being provided with arms at theirextremities, tie-bars connecting the extremitiesof the side bars of theupper and lower frames and adapted to pass over the upper and lowersides of the head of the animal, bit-bars engaging the extremities ofthe arms of the upper and lower frames and adapted to be insertedbetween the jaws of the animal, and means for securing said frames adjustably together, substantially as set forth.

2. In a veterinary mouth-speculum, the combination of two framespivotally connected together and provided with means for securing themadjustably together, said frames being provided with arms havingbifurcated ends, slotted bit-bars extending between the arms of saidframes, and flattened bolts extending through the slots of said bit-barsand pivoted to the bifurcations of said arms, substantially as setforth.

3. In a veterinary mouth-speculum, the combination of upper and lowerframes pivoted together at their opposite sides, each of said framescomprising two side bars and a bit-bar pivotally connecting the saidside bars at the forward portion of the frame, tie-bars also pivotallyconnecting said side bars at the rear portions of the frames, and meansfor securing said frames adjustably in position, substantially as setforth.

4. In a veterinary mouth speculum, the combination of upper and lowerframes pivoted together at their opposite sides, each of said framescomprising two side bars and a bit-bar pivotally connecting said sidebars at the forward portion of the frame, tie-bars also pivotallyconnecting the rear portions of the frames,whereby the frames may befolded, means for holding said frames in unfolded position, and meansfor securing the upper and lower frames adjustably in position,substantially as set forth.

5. In a veterinary mouth-speculum, the

combination of upper and lower frames pivoted together at their oppositesides, each of said frames comprising two side bars, and a bit-barpivoted at its opposite ends to said side bars at the forward portion ofthe frame, tie-bars also pivotally connected at their ends to the sidebars at the rear parts of the frames, whereby the frames may be folded,said tiebars having apertures adjacent to their pivotpoints, latches onthe side bars to engage the apertures in the tie-bars to hold the framesin unfolded position, and means for securing the'upper and lower framesadjustably in position, substantially as set forth.

6. In a veterinary mouthspeculum, the combination of upper and lowerframes pivoted together at their opposite sides, each of said framescomprising two side bars and a tie-bar pivotally connecting the same andadapted to permit the side bars of the frame to be folded toward eachother, the side bars of each frame being provided with latch devicesarranged to hold them in unfolded position, and means for securing theupper and lower frame adjustably in position, substantially as setforth.

MIOHEAL MONALLEY.

Witnesses:

FRANK C. MCNALLEY, FRED ARTHUR.

